Fragrance comparison

Durra vs Varens Lavande

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 2 Nov 2026 80 ratings analysed

3 wins

Durra

The Spirit of Dubai

3.7579 votes

Rank #30,121 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Varens Lavande

Ulric de Varens

4.001 votes

Rank #58,563 LavenderAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Durra takes 3 of 4 categories.

Durra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Varens Lavande
Choose it for a lavender and aromatic character. Wins on value for money.

Durra3/4

Varens Lavande1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Durra
Sillage & projection: Durra
Value for money: Varens Lavande
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Durra

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

DurraThe Spirit of Dubai

Varens LavandeUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 25%Had 8%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

14%Like

6%Ok

18%Dislike

11%Hate

79 votes

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage25

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityDurra

SillageDurra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value100

Category winnerVarens LavandeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

lavender100%

aromatic83%

fresh spicy65%

vanilla48%

woody30%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both aromatic, fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

Sea NotesWatery NotesAldehydesOzonic notesClary SagePineLavenderCumin

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)Earthy NotesBirch LeafCashmere WoodWoody NotesSandalwoodIncenseVanilla

Base

CastoreumCivettaMuskImmortelleTolu BalsamPrecious WoodsTobaccoVetiver

Top15-30 mins

Lavender

Heart2-3 hrs

Woody Notes

Base5-7+ hrs

VanillaPatchouli

InformationalShared notesLavender, Woody Notes and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Varens Lavande, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer68

Fall72

Winter100

Day83

Night100

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men54

Unisex37

Women9

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,121

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#58,563

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerDurraHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Durra opens with a sharp burst of salty sea notes, cold aldehydes, and clary sage before diving into a dark heart of agarwood and smoky incense. The dry-down settles into heavy castoreum leather, amber, and bitter cumin on skin. It suits cold winter evenings, black-tie dinners, or outdoor gatherings where a dense, mar…

Reviews →

Varens Lavande by Ulric de Varens delivers a surprisingly sweet, confectionary spin on classic French aromatic herbs. Right out of the nozzle, you get an immediate surge of candied lavender flowers backed by warm, powdery vanilla. It does not smell like a sharp barbershop cologne. Instead, the herbaceous bite quickly …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Durra or Varens Lavande?

Durra takes 3 of 4 categories. Durra is rated 3.75/5 from 79 votes; Varens Lavande is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Durra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Varens Lavande for a lavender and aromatic character. Wins on value for money.

Which lasts longer, Durra or Varens Lavande?

Durra lasts longest (Durra 87/100, Varens Lavande 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Durra or Varens Lavande?

Durra projects furthest (Durra 82/100, Varens Lavande 25/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Durra and Varens Lavande smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Lavender, Woody Notes and Vanilla.

Is Durra or Varens Lavande better for summer or winter?

Durra suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Durra and Varens Lavande?

Durra has top notes of Sea Notes, Watery Notes, Aldehydes and Ozonic notes, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Cashmere Wood, a base of Castoreum, Civetta, Musk and Immortelle. Varens Lavande has top notes of Lavender, heart notes of Woody Notes, a base of Vanilla and Patchouli.